How badly do you want to know the end of the story?

Have you ever been in the midst of reading a book and just had to look at the last few pages to see how it ends?

Have you ever been at the bookstore and flipped ahead in  the books you are considering, to decide which ending you would prefer to read?

Or do you consistently read the story as it is written:

• Bonding with a character because of the challenges they are facing?
• Cheering for them to come through it all, victoriously?
• Fully experiencing all of the emotions they are feeling?

How about with your own story?

• The water is rising in the midst of a storm – will the house flood?
• That amazing person just asked you out – will you have a future together?
• A loved one just passed away – how will you go on?
• The interview you just had, seemed to go so well – will you get the job?
• Layoffs are happening – If you lose your job, how will you provide?

Are you anxiously trying to look ahead trying see what the next chapter holds?

Wishing you could flip past all hard things?

Trying to make your ideal ending come true?

I ask because my story has me on the edge of something that my heart has been desiring for a very long time. As I anticipate the days ahead, I also find myself pondering the times my story has thrown me some of those unwanted plot twists. Seasons of gut wrenching experiences, drama, change or waiting…

In every case:

• God used those situations to help me become softer, stronger, and wiser.
• I’ve learned beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is faithful.

And when my heart’s desires have finally come, they have been so much sweeter.

I’m not just speaking for myself.  This is true for people that have had their homes flooded, lost spouses and children, and jobs.

If you are in the midst of waiting, unwanted change, or struggle: Be encouraged.

“ Great stories are filled with drama, twists, turns, up and downs.

“ Unwanted plot twists can help you become softer, stronger and wiser.

And as crazy as it may sound, you can experience more peace and ultimately more joy.

Below are 3 Tips for fully experiencing your story as it unfolds:

1. Be thankful even in the midst of unwanted plot twists. (Seriously.) Stop and list at least three things you are thankful for. Do this as often as you need to. Multiple times in an hour, several times a day or once a day. Doing this retrains your brain to stop focusing on everything that is hard and shines a bright light on everything you’ve been blessed with.
2. Make a list of what you are learning. And keep adding to that list long after the struggle ends. You’ll be amazed at the clarity that comes when you are through the struggle.
3. Share your story with others. What did you feel? How did you react? How did you get through it? What did you learn? How have you changed? Everyone struggles with something. Your story has the power to transform your future and the lives of others.

PLEASE SHARE:  What is your story teaching you?

We’re in the midst of waiting. Months and months of waiting…

• In September – We knew we were moving back across the ocean to the land we call home
• In October – The move was stopped and from morning to night and from day to day, what we were doing and when we were doing it changed, as things changed within the company
• In early November – we were moving again and it looked impossible not to be home for Christmas
• Then week after week and weekend after weekend – through Thanksgiving, and Christmas, our Anniversary and New Years we would do what we could do and then wait – on the company, the movers, the government and Harley Davidson
• 11 days ago – all of our household things were loaded into a container for overseas shipment
• 7 days ago – our motorcycle was crated and taken to our container
• It’s almost mid-January and we’re still waiting – for paperwork to clear so we can leave

The emotional roller coaster has been intense:

• Sad to go – So many tearful goodbyes – not knowing if or when we will see many of our friends and neighbors again
• Sad to stay – Missing so much at home that we thought we would be a part of this year
• Frustrated with all the barriers – There is so much we don’t control
• Impatience, questions, anger, tears and numbness have all been a part of the process…

A neighbor recently commented that she doesn’t know how I’m still smiling. Another friend commented on my patience.

The reality I that most days I can smile because I do the 9 things I recommend below, but I’m also human and I have bad days too.

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year, and it’s been 4 years since I’ve been able to celebrate it in the way that I’d like to. (When I know we aren’t going home and set my expectations accordingly and I can navigate that day very well.)

This year I was so sure that we would be there, that I struggled to adjust those expectations as the date approached. When I woke up on Christmas Eve, I cried and dried my eyes and tried to focus on something else and the tears came again. …Over and over, for half the day, that process repeated itself. That’s not normal for me, and it wasn’t how I had imagined spending the day. But I got it all out and I am smiling again.

“ How you cope with a season of waiting is a choice – that impacts how you emerge from it.

Need help dealing with your waiting?

1. Be thankful: Intentionally look for blessings and thank God for them.
2. Pray: It’s ok if some of your prayers are confidently claiming scripture, while others are filled with gut wrenching questions, and others are peaceful and accepting.
3. Turn up the volume on your favorite tunes: And listen to beautiful melodies and lyrics filled with truth an inspiration.
4. Be authentic with your friends: Their understanding and support will help to carry you with new perspectives, advice, encouragement, prayers, distractions, laughter and if you’re as spoiled as we’ve been – maybe even meals!
5. Get some exercise and fresh air: Just getting out and walking changes the scenery and gets your blood pumping.
6. Look back and remember: Other big seasons of waiting and change that were really tough that caused you to emerge softer, and stronger and wiser.
7. Dream about the future: Who do you want to connect with, what do you want to do… What can you do now to prepare for that?
8. Keep others that are waiting in your thoughts, prayers and messages: Who do you know that is in a season of waiting? How can you support them?

So many of our friends and family are waiting for things that are bigger and harder than what we are dealing with.  

Friends all over Louisiana that had their homes flooded in August and are still waiting to get back home. …Many are staying with friends, some with family, some in FEMA trailers.

They’ve waited:

• On flood waters to recede
• On insurance companies for estimates
• On banks to clear insurance checks
• On construction crews to be available and to get started

While they’ve waited: They’ve lacked privacy, and lost personal freedoms as they’ve adjusted to life in the homes of others.

Other friends have waited for:

• Medical testing
• Then waited for test results
• Then waited for treatment plans

Some are now waiting for treatment to start while others are waiting for treatment plans to work.

And we are surrounded by people that live outside of their home countries and away from their spouses and children for years at a time to provide a better future for their families.

• They wait for vacations – Often waiting months and years past the promised date.
• When there is a family emergency back home they wait for approval to leave – and often don’t receive it. (So they often miss the births and weddings of their children, miss helping family after a natural disaster, miss visiting a loved one in a hospital, miss saying goodbye to and burying parents when they die.)

“  No matter what you are waiting for… You are not alone.

 An interview, a job offer, the adoption to be finalized, or something else…

9. Give yourself permission to have a bad day: Get it out and then get back in the game and repeat steps 1 – 8.

Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. ― Viktor E. Frankl

What tips do you have for people that are in the midst of waiting?

Image credit:  Pixabay

Once upon a time, I hired a fun-loving woman with great recommendations, strong experience, and impressive tenure. (True Story!)

Not long after she joined our team she began to struggle.   Things that she thought would be easy to learn were harder than normal, which chewed away at her confidence, which made it even harder to learn, which ate away even more confidence. Sometimes when we spoke privately, tears flowed.

At one point she shared that in her last role she was so confident that she would put on a pink feather boa. And when she wore it – everyone knew a special announcement was going to be made. Here she wanted to be her authentic self, but was afraid…

Each time we spoke, I would remind her:

1. She was grieving. (She had just left a role that she knew backwards and forwards and upside down in a place where she felt understood, appreciated and loved and moved and started a new job.)
2. She really was smart, capable, fun and wanted!
3. She was focusing more on her mistakes and emotions than on what she knew she could bring and that was causing her to struggle harder.

Then I would pull out Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model and remind her that SHE WAS NORMAL!!!

• …And then we’d talk about what I could do, what the team could do and what she could do to help her work through the change so that she would feel confident again.

A few months later she bounced into my office to let me know that her brother-in-law had just started a new job and she had shared her lessons and Blanchard’s chart with him!!! (Goosebumps!)

Sharing that experience with her caused me to do a deeper dive into the emotions and needs that each of us have as we experience any type of change in our lives.

I’ve looked backward at my own life, and recognized:

• Distinct patterns of emotions when we relocated to any new city.
• Times that were so challenging they led to confusion, tanked confidence, decreased productivity, and sapped joy.
• Times that I handled change well and swam through it and times I sank.

Paid more attention to others and noticed their struggles much more quickly…

As I coached recent university graduates that hit the same hurdles in their first career jobs.   And then as I met with their hiring managers, to help them learn to support their new hires at a higher level…  I’ve had the honor of watching men in infamously macho industries recognize their own struggles with change and actually admit them to each other. (Chills!)

And I’ve become much more aware of how change is impacting me in the moment.

This weekend I spent time reviewing the articles I wrote as we prepared for our expat journey and during the first 6 months here and was reminded about how my own thoughts, fears, delays, unknowns and choices fueled my thoughts and emotions. If you are in the midst of any change – at work or personally this swirl of constant thoughts and feelings may be familiar:

• Confusion
• Grief

Interrupted by a conscious choice to turn this into a fun learning opportunity

• Awe and Thankfulness
• Confusion and Frustration
• Doubt and Fear

Interrupted by conscious choice to admit my fear and adjust my thinking

• Unproductive (I don’t do limbo well!)
• Anticipation
• Thankfulness

Tempted to be frustrated, but chose laughter instead

• Thankfulness
• Thoughtfulness
• Unsure
• Pondering
• Questioning

If they are familiar – then read on! I penned these words during that time and they apply to anyone in the midst of change, yes – even the ones you thought you wanted:

[Tweet “Fear and doubt – yes that’s normal!”]

[Tweet “Emotional roller coaster – yes that’s normal too!”]

[Tweet “Having fun one day and questioning where you fit the next – still normal!”]

I am in a new place, filled with wonderful people and lots of new opportunities.

I know from past experience that it is wise to meet many people and have lots of experiences as quickly as possible.

I know that even though I’m busy I have not found my “groove” yet.

I know that the human in me wants to grab the reigns and be a part of something as quickly as possible.

I know that I need to stay in explorer mode for a little longer.

[Tweet “I don’t know yet – what I will learn here. …But I choose to learn.”]

I don’t know yet how I will make a difference here. …Time will reveal where I should plug in, and I will make a difference!

[Tweet “I am here for a reason!”]

Want more about navigating change for yourself or others?

These two are FAVORITES written by others and must be purchased:

• Self-Leadership and The One Minute Manager (This one includes the Situational Leadership Chart I mentioned in the post!)
• The Change Cycle (Includes another incredible visual to help you navigate change.)

These are free from me:

• Click here to read from my change learning laboratory – AKA our expat journey!
• Click here to subscribe to this blog and receive a free download about How to Instigate Change.

Image from The Valley of The Kings Egypt where life from the Nile meets the death of the desert!

1.  Create an EXPERIENCE:  

•  I brought some tiny matchbox cars to a meeting and asked everyone to take a car and personalize it.
• Then I gave them a bunch of foot-long crepe paper streamers and asked them to use a streamer to list one thing that was causing them to lose focus.  (And they could use as many streamers as they needed to.)
• There were so many that the streamers quickly covered the cars and we talked about how hard it is to drive forward when you feel so covered up that can’t see the people you are working with, let alone where you are going.
• Then I brought out a rocket.  (The kind you buy in a toystore that you can actually launch.)  The rocket was “beautifully decorated” with each of our objectives, and we talked about how looking up and focusing on where we were going could help us prioritize the demands and distractions, decrease our confusion and stress and increase our focus and results.  

And yes – when we achieved all of our objectives we drove to a field and shot off that rocket!

2.  Find OPPORTUNITIES in your routine:

 3.  FULLY ABSORB the places you visit:  

• The Palace of Versailles – 5 Ways to Fire-Proof Your Character
• The Anne Frank House – Leaders STAND for something ~ When do YOU STAND? 
• Italy – Sieze The Day:  When it’s easy and when it’s hard
• Egypt provided two!  A New Perspective at the Pyramids & Let this be your resolution:  I SEE People

Ahhhh…  EVERY sense was relaxed and inspired!

• The temps were cooler – sometimes jackets were actually required!    (Not the 110 degree heat we left behind.)
• The skies were bluer!  (Literally as most days our skies are hazy with sand.)
• We saw puffy clouds DAILY!  (A rare sight in the sandbox.  I had no idea how much joy I would find in the sighting of puffy clouds before I left my native land.)
• And we saw so much green that I could feel my soul resting and restoring.  (Yes – I literally got tears in my eyes as I whispered prayers of thankfulness!)

• We were inspired by their courage to journey far beyond their comfort zone.
• And reminded that doing anything for the first time causes discomfort but when you hang in there it fuels growth, builds confidence and may actually make you crave another adventure.

• On an uncommonly rough day at sea that made it difficult to stand or walk to a restroom and challenged even the toughest stomaches.
• The entire ride I thought about our ancestors that traveled a much greater distance as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean on an old ship without modern technology or conveniences and wondered how much more challenging that would have been.

A few days later we learned a bit more about the potato famine that devastated Ireland for 6 years.  

• As more than one million people lost their lives.
• And another million left their homeland to survive.
• We heard stories and songs about that time in history and imagined what it must have been like to leave everything you knew and loved behind – knowing you may never see or hear from the people you left – ever again.
• We saw the type of ships they traveled on. (Called coffin ships – How does that inspire hope?)
• And again I thought of our tiny taste of turbulant sea travel and how challenging it would have been to travel such a great distance.  

• And a story unfolded about JFK visiting his extended family in Ireland when he was the President of the U.S. – A story about his connection to the people and the land his ancestors came from, and their connection to one of their own experiencing the vision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – to the full!
• For the rest of our time in Ireland, we frequently noticed American flags flying next to Irish flags.  (Ah the power of vision and connection!)

Today we’re back in the sandbox

• Thankful for the shared adventure and the visual reminders about how much life and growth comes after we spend time outside of our comfort zones  – and it doesn’t matter if we leave those zones by choice or by heartache.
• Feeling very connected to the lessons about struggle, courage, risk, vision and life that have come from our ancestors.
• And feeling recharged and refocused.

Want more?

1. Check out this article:  Looking Back:  7 Times You Should & 7 Times You Should Not
2. Purchase our NEW Book Energize Your Leadership:  Get your Amazon Kindle Version Here or Have a book sent to you from Amazon here.

Before we moved across the ocean we really struggled with lots of decisions.

One of the biggest ones was wondering if we should bring Brutus, our 10-year-old White German Shepherd.

• He had bad hips.
• He had never been on a plane.
• He had tumors and we knew that one of them had been cancerous.
• We wondered if he could make the trip physically and emotionally.
• We did not want to imagine life without him, but we didn’t want to think only of our desires.
• We knew that if he came with us there was a good possibility that he would die here, and had a hard time imagining him being buried in a land we don’t call home and at some point not being able to visit his grave. (In reality our other pets are buried in our home country but in places we no longer own so we can’t visit them either.)

Our veterinarian was encouraging. Brutus had a great disposition and there are no guarantees for any of us in life so why not?

My husband knew better than I did how much I needed my white furry angel and was committed to figuring out how to make that happen.

My mother-in-law told us after we decided to bring him that it was the right decision. She said that if we left him behind he would have died of a broken heart.

Part of the transition for all of us included my husband going ahead for several months, while I stayed in the U.S. waiting on visas, movers, and all of the details to come together to get the approval to move Brutus with us.

During that time my “furry baby” and I bonded even more intently. I needed his presence and he needed mine.

Here’s just one example: In our final weeks in the U.S. – I met a friend at Starbucks for coffee and brought Brutus with me. After my friend ordered her coffee and came outside to sit with Brutus, I went inside to order my coffee.

As I approached the counter I heard a noise but thought nothing of it until the barista stopped looking at me and started staring intently at the door.

My “baby” had just pulled a very heavy cast iron chair from the sitting area in front of the café to the door and was frantically peering inside trying to figure out where I had gone. (I’m sure he thought it was a black hole!)

As we bounced from house to house over the next month he didn’t want me out of his sight. He knew “his Dad” was gone, the house we’d lived in was no more, and now I was his only constant.

Knowing how much he needed me, focused me on his needs, instead of my own stress and fears. Many nights we would lie on the floor together with my head on his belly or his head in my lap until we both relaxed.

When we arrived in this new land he was a mystery. He wasn’t the first dog in our compound but he was the first one to be allowed to walk outside during the day – simply because he loved everyone. Children followed him around like he was the Pied Piper. Many days our doorbell would ring and his adoring fans would be there, wanting just to see him and touch him.

For the past several months our four-legged furry baby has been really sick.

Monday morning his body let us know that we were at a point of no return and we needed to let him go. So we spent time giving him some extra love and attention and thanking him for being in our lives.

Monday night we said goodbye to our beautiful furry baby. (I wish I could say the experience at the vet was as sweet and compassionate as with our other dogs.) It wasn’t and I wasn’t at all prepared for how quickly it happened or how his body was treated. It was painful to watch and made me feel so bad about his final moments.

I was shocked, in pain and extremely tempted to be judgmental of the cultural differences between our home country and this one.

In spite of the shock and the grief, the beautiful moments and many lessons emerged:

1. Loving is a risk. A risk of eventual loss and pain. But oh how love enriches our lives.
2. Loving someone means looking out for their best interest, not your own.  

A wise friend knew how much I needed these words when I told her what we had to do….

Oh, Chery, I am so very sorry. I know that you are doing the exact right thing for Brutus, but I know that it hurts you. It’s wonderful that you are able to tell that he needs you to do this for him.

I am so glad y’all brought him, both for you and for him. His only want in life was to be with y’all, and you let him have his heart’s desire by bringing him here and letting him spend his final months loving and being loved by y’all.

3. Focusing on the needs of someone else helps you move forward.
4. Grief comes to all of us. It is so important to learn how to walk through the pain, to give yourself permission to feel it and to share it and at the same time not give into the temptation to think like a victim.
5. When anything happens that is not in alignment with your expectations, seek first to understand. (Our cultures are very different. We don’t place the same value on the lives of animals period. I should have made my expectations known.)
6. When you are tempted to feel guilty about something you could not have prevented, you must choose to have a strong mind. (Thanks LaRae.) I know I loved him with my whole heart, I know I gave him a beautiful last day and that I said my goodbyes many times throughout the day – even though I still wish I could have said a final goodbye.

On Brutus’s final day we sat together and cuddled as I watched a video that included the quote below. And as I’ve worked through his loss I’veoften focused on this…

[Tweet ““Anytime God brings us to the end of anything, it’s time for a new beginning.” Beth Moore”]

Image Credit:  Ace Concierge

Her comment came at a time when many people we care about are focused on “what is not” instead of on “what is”.

[Tweet “2 steps forward and 1 step back is still progress.”]

Her words were a waving caution flag reminding me that:

Focusing on the steps back, on the struggle, or on what is not…  Fuels negativity and slows progress.  

A few days later, I saw that friend again, and she spoke that important truth once more. .

[Tweet ““It is important to stop and celebrate progress.” ~Kristy Burns”]

Focusing on progress:  Fuels hope and creates momentum.

Stop for a minute and think about your life:

• Where were you 1 year ago?
• What were your goals at that time?
• What have you done since then?
• What have you learned?
• How have you grown and changed?
• What difference have you made?
• How have you celebrated?

Now stop for a moment and think about your family, your organization or the community you are a part of:

• What was happening 1 year ago?
• Did you have shared goals at that time?
• What has been accomplished in that time?
• What has been learned in that time?
• How have the individuals and the organization grown and changed?
• What difference are you making together?
• How have you celebrated?

 If you’re struggling to recognize progress remember:

2 steps forward and 2 or even 3 steps back CAN STILL BE PROGRESS:   If you’re dancing  ~ OR LEARNING!

How about you?  

Are you focused on the steps back or on the steps forward?  

 Image Credit:  iStock

I crave places that look like this:

Our current environment sometimes feels like this:

I crave environments that make me feel like this:

…A month ago we returned from an extended vacation, part of which was spent in Italy. (A place that had been on my bucket list for a very long time.)  We spent time in the hills, the valleys, in the mountains, on islands, in castles, and in a gondola drinking in life and beauty.

Previous vacations at Versailles and in Amsterdam have taught me to expect valuable lessons to emerge in the midst of our rest and adventure.  So towards the end of our time in Italy I paused to reflect:

*First I savored everything we were seeing:  Green and blue landscapes and skies filled with puffy white clouds… 

*Then I remembered the regrets of a dying friend:  As he told his wife that he wished they’d taken more vacations together.

*Then I pondered how temporary everything is as I thought of:

• Lives and cities that were destroyed with the eruption and fallout from the famous volcano Vesuvius
• Endless examples of cities that were built on of ruins of older cities – many of which are lonely ruins today or have yet another layer of life happening above them

EMPHASIZING the words spoken throughout Italy, “Carpe diem.” ~ Seize the Day!

After our time in Italy, we spent a few weeks with our families seizing days!!!  We hugged, we visited, we ate, we sat by campfires, we played games, we watched movies, we swam, we looked at stars, and we soaked in more green and blue landscapes. …And I drove a car for the first time in 16 months! (Something I can’t do where we live.) I opened the sunroof and the windows and let the wind whip through my hair!   Ahhh – pure joy!!!

And when the time came to go back to our expat lives, I struggled with feelings of exchanging endless freedom for a box.  (I know my grandmother felt that way when she was moved from her home to an apartment, to assisted living  and ultimately to a nursing home. And I know that at some point all humans will struggle with physical, mental, or emotional limitations that may be real or imagined.)

[Tweet “Boxes make it much more challenging to seize the day!”]

A few times my struggle was so intense I had to go off by myself and just walk and pray and focus on the things I am thankful for right now:  A wonderful husband, a loving family, amazing friendships, lots of adventure, tons of personal growth, a deeper understanding of our world, and the ability to visit places that I’ve only seen in movies, pictures, and on maps.

 A few days later, we boarded our plane to head back to our expat life.  As we flew across the ocean, I watched Dead Poets Society just so I could watch the scene where Robin Williams reminds the boys in his class to, “Seize the Day.”  …And I willed myself to do the same.

When we landed we learned that Robin Williams had taken his own life.  There was no way to miss the power of this lesson now. Even as his life was ending, I was watching him in living color, reminding others to seize this day, and live it to the full.

 Today…   Is the first day, of the rest of YOUR LIFE.

• You can seize the day by being thankful for the blessings in your life.
• You can seize the day by doing something outside of your comfort zone.
• You can seize the day by doing something to grow yourself.
• You can seize the day by doing something for someone else.
• You can seize the day by asking for help.
• You can seize the day by not looking back.
• You can seize the day by learning something new.
• You can seize the day by taking a stand.
• You can seize the day by listening more intently.
• You can seize it by forgiving someone.
• You can seize the day by trying again.

[Tweet “Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.”]

How will you seize today?

For me that list is easy.  They are the most thought-filled gifts and probably some of the least expensive ones I’ve been given.

1.  There is the Christmas stocking my parents purchased for me when I was four months old because they could not afford any other gifts.
2.  There is the memory of the first gift my husband ever purchased for me, after hearing about a song I loved.   (This is years before instant downloads, so he visited every music store possible looking for that tape and finally had to ask if a store had it.)  …It had just come in and had to be unpacked and priced before they could sell it to him.
3.  Then there’s a special collection of Hallmark tree ornaments, that remind my husband and I of a special memory from our dating years.  In order to purchase all four of them, he had to go to the mall every week for a month…

This year I am especially inspired by two expat families who are determined to make Christmas memories for their children in spite of the land that we live in.  For little cost, they have created memories that their family will cherish for years to come:

One named a plant Mohammed, created their own decorations, and turned that plant into their Christmas tree last year.   Their kids liked it so much that this year when they had the option of a more traditional tree, they wanted Mohammed!

The other is celebrating their first Christmas here with their 3-year old daughter.  They located boxes of different sizes, covered them in red and green tissue paper and stacked them in the shape of a tree, complete with a star on top.  …And then spent lots of time decorating each box.  The rest of their house has been decorated with just as much love, thought and innovation!

All of these stories remind me of my favorite episode of The Cosby Show.  It’s an episode where Cliff and his son-in-laws make a bet to see who can purchase the most impressive and romantic gift for their wives without exceeding a $25.00 limit.

• One gave his wife a single pearl, and vowed to keep buying her one every year until she could have the necklace she always wanted.
• Another made a time capsule with a handkerchief that included lipstick from their first kiss, and a flower from their wedding.
• Cliff told a story about a barrette that Clair wanted when they were first dating, and claimed that he tracked it down for her. Clair angrily responded that another girl liked the barrette – she actually wanted a green bracelet. …Only to open the box and find the bracelet!

Today in the final days before Christmas when people are at their busiest and feeling more stress than joy, remember:  

[Tweet ““It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Mother Teresa “]

Merry Christmas To Each of You!  I Pray That You Experience The True Love Of This Season All Year Long!

Image Credit:  Jaynia Samaroo and iStock

One year later as I reflected on that season in our lives, the thoughts and feelings came back in a flood of emotions.

In order to fully share that experience I have to take you back in time…

I grew up in a little town in rural North Dakota.  A town so small we had no stoplights and no 24-hour grocery stores, and the closest mall was a 90 minute drive away.  (The entire county today has approximately 9,000 people in it.)

In spite of the small size, the people there are committed to creating  “cultured” events for the community.  One of those events takes place each December.

For months volunteers come together and practice Christmas music.

Then just before the holidays the community packs into an old gymnasium that has been transformed.

As a child I remember a slightly run down, musty and sweaty smelling building that suddenly became a magical stage, filled with risers, candlelight, angelic voices and dozens of fresh evergreens that were so strong their fragrance would fill the entire building.

For a couple of hours we would be surrounded by music that you would never expect to hear on the plains of North Dakota.

Each year the concert finale would be a song that has become a favorite, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus…

Now back to 2012 -just before Thanksgiving, as we were preparing to move to a big sandbox on the other side of the world:

We knew when we said yes to this adventure that many of the freedoms we had always enjoyed would not exist there.

So as our last Christmas in the USA approached, I found myself savoring the things I typically love at an even higher level and wondering what our next Christmas would look like.

Then in early December our church choir and a local orchestra gave a concert that very much resembled the community concert I had grown up with.

As I sat there willing every cell in my body to soak in the music, several thoughts ran through my mind:

• First I hoped with all of my heart that they would sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.
• Then I found myself grieving my future ability to sit in a church and hear this music.
• Then I realized I would not even be able to walk through a mall, or down a street or go to a community event and have this music playing in the background.

As my heart was so overwhelmed with sadness I choked, and tried to hold the tears in.

Suddenly the negative thoughts turned positive as I realized how blessed I am to have known this kind of freedom.

And then realized that although I always thought I appreciated my freedom, I hadn’t really understood the gift I’d been given.

And then as much as I tried, I could no longer hold back the tears…

As I finalized this post one year later:

• I was in a land that looks like a time-machine blended the middle ages with the present day.
• In spite of the limitations of the land, technology allowed me to play that cherished music.  As I did, I closed my eyes and imagined that I was sitting in that gym surrounded by familiar faces and the intense smell of fresh pine.  Remembering what it was like to be in a place where I could freely celebrate with others in public places.
• Although I was deeply missing the treasured parts of this season, I was also thankful beyond words for the understanding I was gaining.

For those of you who live in free countries and can practice the faith of your choice, without fear of arrest or execution.  For those who can walk through streets or malls or sit in restaurants or go to large public arenas and hear that music playing:  Please close your eyes, let that music move you, and savor it like you’ve never savored it before.  You’ve been given a gift that some people will never experience on this side of heaven.

Please share:  What has change taught you this year?

For those of you that want to enjoy that favorite song, check out the YouTube Video below.

image credits:  The Hazen Star, iStock

]]> https://consultgiana.com/what-has-change-taught-you-this-year/feed/ 16 https://consultgiana.com/5-reasons-thankfulness-is-more-than-childs-play/ https://consultgiana.com/5-reasons-thankfulness-is-more-than-childs-play/#comments Thu, 28 Nov 2013 02:59:11 +0000 Chery Gegelman http://consultgiana.com/?p=2164

Although it sounds like something that small children can do, it takes a clear vision of the value of gratitude and a strong mind to practice thankfulness.

Below are 5 powerful reasons for adults and children to practice thanksgiving:

1. It focuses us on what we have instead of what we don’t.
2. It frees us from the illusion that we need to be in control to be happy.
3. It takes our focus off of ourselves and places it on others.
4. It reflects light like a beacon to dark places in individuals and in our world.
5. It drives out pride and depression.

Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff.  Max Lucado

In America we officially celebrate Thanksgiving one day a year.

Those who wisely practice Thanksgiving 365 days a year have discovered that it is a key to perseverance, humility, joy, and hope.

As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens.  It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. (Excerpt from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

What are you thankful for today?  …This year?  

• Check out how a professional football player wisely practices thankfulness.
• Einstein used the words “Rapt Awe” to describe the importance of thankfulness.  These are some of the things I’ve been in awe of this year.
• Check out what 20+ Leadership Bloggers have to say about gratitude.  
• If music speaks to you as it does to me this song will get you started…